JERUSALEM – Would you like to visit the Kotel, the Western Wall, or delve into Jerusalem’s subterranean history; shop at the Machane Yehuda or Arab Shuqs; pray at Jerusalem’s many synagogues; climb the String Bridge or jump to the Mount of Olives; visit the Old City’s gates or relax and Mishkenot Sha’ananim – Now? Well, you can, virtually. Jerusalem 360 is the largest panoramic project ever launched in Israel, enabling anyone to tour over 100 locations in Jerusalem. Only Jerusalem’s unique scent and chill are lacking. Instead, one can enjoy an entire evening in Jerusalem without the need for a sweater.
Tamir Orbaum, creator of the virtual tour, refurbished and enlarged the tour in honor of Jerusalem’s 47th unification anniversary. He told Tazpit News Agency that this was only the first phase in this ambitious project. He intends to add more locations, more aerial views and historic background on the various sites.
Over the span of three years, Orbaum used unique technology to produce this tour. He shared with Tazpit some of the obstacles he encountered. “To take the aerial photos I needed permits from the police. The closer you get to the Old City the more permits you are required to produce from different sources. After many patients I was able to obtain the permits. I then scheduled a filming day, but the weather was foul, so I had to postpone everything for a week,” says Orbaum.
Orbaum explained that the idea for the project came as a result of Google Earth’s imbalanced representation of Jerusalem’s holy sites, setting the primary focus on the Christian sites and churches. “I took a camera and began to photograph the Jewish Quarter in the Old City and Jewish heritage sites. The project developed, and today anyone in Israel or abroad can walk through the streets of the Jerusalem, experiencing the city through their computer screen”.
To the tour: http://www.jerusalem360.co.il/eng/